Posted 10/15/2015 1:00 AM (#86544) Subject: Noob Question: What features are important for a first outfit

Posts: 9Location: Seattle-ish, WA

I'm trying to wade through all the choices for my first outfit. So far I'm pretty sure I want a vstrom tug. A ural would be the easiest option but with 2 small kids the tinkering time is limited. Being 6'6" making a ural comfortable might be challenging too.

So far I've come up with 2 options and don't know enough about piloting sidecars to know what I "need" and what is extra fluff. I don't see myself having the time to take any big trips for maybe 3-5 years. Most of my riding will be half day or less rides with my son (who is now 2.5) as monkey when he gets a little older. I'd like to have something by late spring 2016 so I can get a season under my belt before I think about taking my son on more than a ride to the neighborhood park.

I currently ride a 2007 Dl650 abs that has a rebuilt title and 60,000 miles. I've done suspension work on both ends and a custom seat so it's pretty dialed in. Living in the Seattle area the easiest and cheapest option would be to have DMC hang a NOS Sputnik on my bike. If I were to go that route I would likely opt for adding a brake, but should I upgrade the shock right off the bat or wait for it to fail? How bad are they? This option would be $4500-5100 all in. How important would trail reduction be? An extra $1000 for the leading legs seems spendy.

The second option is buy a used outfit. I have a line on a dl650 with a well spec'd DMC M72D. That rig has electric trim, matching 19" wheel with brake and leading legs for around $9000. Over all a nice rig.

Are the trim and leading legs worth the extra expense if I'm not going to be doing higher mileage days or long trips? Hacking my current bike would leave me without a solo bike for the occasional commute (I do about 2500 commute miles a year) maybe I'd want to replace it I don't know.

Trying to wrap my head around where the most value is for a first outfit.

Posted 10/15/2015 10:35 AM (#86546 - in reply to #86544) Subject: Re: Noob Question: What features are important for a first outfit

Posts: 1490

As you live close to us, go with the Sputnik, Skip the shock, the current one will be ok, it may be ok for a few years or many years, in time it will fail but as you are close to us, up grade it when it does fail. The leading legs are nice to have for ease of steering however, try it first with out, down the road these can be added. Also this way if you decide that the V strom is not the bike you want to run long term you will not have spent the money for the leading legs and all you may need to move the sidecar to a different bike are the mounts and our mounts used usually sell fairly quickly. Electric trim is very nice to have for long trips but not as important if you have modified the steering as it is easier to live with a slight pull one way or the other and for a long trip, once you are loaded for the trip you can go ahead and set the lean out of the bike by adjusting the upper struts for the load you will have for the trip you are taking. The brake is always a good idea especially if you go off road at all, down hill with a loaded sidecar the sidecar is trying to push the front end of the bike to the left, with out a brake on the sidecar you may find that you have to chose to use what little traction the front tire has to either steer or brake but not both. Another good reason to go with the Sputnik is that it is fairly cheap and gives you the chance to get out and use a sidecar and learn what you like and do not like about the sidecar so you can start planning for your next rig down the road which with two small kids may need to be one of our wider sidecars after all you did ask about your "first outfit".
Why not come down and take a look at the sidecar, bring your kids if you can and have them sit in the sidecars.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

Posted 10/18/2015 8:14 PM (#86566 - in reply to #86544) Subject: Re: Noob Question: What features are important for a first outfit

Posts: 9Location: Seattle-ish, WA

Thanks Jay. I might swing by the next time I'm down south. I did stop by to meet you in person and get a shop tour back in August. I am interested is the sputniks but there is so little info available for them. What kind of track width would I end up with? I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to park this thing. Thanks.

Posted 10/21/2015 10:26 AM (#86583 - in reply to #86566) Subject: Re: Noob Question: What features are important for a first outfit

Posts: 1490

Track width is adjustable. How wide it ends up depends on the bike and if you have saddle bags as well as how wide the bags are and how they open.
About 5 feet.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793